West Chester University of Pennsylvania
EN-10: Community Partnerships

The Chester County Food Bank and West Chester University have had a long history of partnering on projects. In 2016 projects included: community-based research, campus and community food drives and the establishment of the WCU Resource Pantry. The WCU Resource Pantry (www.wcupa.edu/pantry) eliminates barriers to degree completion for students with financial need by providing access to resources, while empowering students to learn independent living skills and achieve long-term stability. The Resource Pantry is open to all West Chester University students. The pantry provides students with non-perishable food, organic produce grown on campus, hygiene products as well as school supplies. The pantry also offers professional and winter attire. The Resource Pantry works with several offices across campus to host events to equip students with additional tools. These include cooking demonstrations focused on preparing nutritious meals, and career readiness and financial literacy workshops. This partnership addresses social equity issues, such as economic inequality, health and well-being and ecological health. The Resource Pantry is staffed by an AmeriCorps VISTA, Graduate Social Work Intern and paid student workers in the federal work-study program. The majority of the student staff are also classified as unaccompanied homeless youth. The three organic gardens on campus that support the pantry are managed by faculty and staffed by paid student interns. The gardens are now producing during three seasons and are used for educational purposes, such as hosting cooking demonstrations and garden educational tours with students who utilize the services of the pantry.

Both West Chester University and West Chester Borough have benefitted greatly from a long, transformative partnership. Over the years faculty and staff have been elected to borough council, have assisted with an economic redevelopment master plan and built a town-gown shared committee with the Mayor’s office and public safety. The parking study initiated by a faculty member at WCU is one example of a mutually beneficial, sustainable partnership. The study he started and then continued after being selected for borough council has morphed into a professional parking study being conducted by a national firm. (http://www.west-chester.com/476/Master-Parking-Plan) Throughout the study all three dimensions of sustainability were addressed. It is no surprise that parking is not an environmentally sound use of land. However, parking garages are the best way to provide parking because the footprint you are covering is smaller than spread out parking spots in an area as large as the borough. The parking garages in the borough are also equipped with oil water separators, which remove hydrocarbons from rain water resulting in cleaner storm water runoff. Having a concentrated space for parking also alleviates the time motorists spend searching for parking. During the study it became evident that economic and gender inequality needed to be examined. Individuals in vulnerable populations, such as the poor and women, are more likely to be victims of assault. A shorter walk to parking could have greater benefits for these populations. The dimension of economic prosperity was also a factor, as additional parking led to an increase in property value causing economic gain. Parking garages also support the third dimension, which is ecological health.

Throughout West Chester University there are many examples of institutional commitment to building sustainable, mutually beneficial, and transformative community partnerships with stakeholders in the region, state, nation, and beyond. In 2010, WCU received the Carnegie Foundation Classification for Community Engagement, based on evidence that the institution was engaged in mutually beneficial partnerships with the larger community and thoroughly committed to this work. Currently, a total of 361 campuses have received the designation, which involves data collection and documentation of important aspects of institutional mission, identity, and commitment related to community engagement. As WCU advances towards the reclassification process, a campus-wide task force has been created to critically assess how WCU continues to progress in its commitment to community engagement. Many of the community partnerships between WCU and the community are multifaceted, meaningful and sustainable. Partnerships exist across disciplines and industries.

Data Source: Jodi Roth-Saks, Director of the Office of Service Learning and Volunteer Programs (JRoth-Saks@wcupa.edu)